Boy Number Seven: Seven Moments
by Noriko Nanahara
Summary: Seven moments in the short life of Yoshitoki Kuninobu. One-shot, novelverse.


**Author's Note: Written because I have a huge adoration for the bug-eyed idiot. It was sadder in my head, though. Enjoy!**

* * *

_1._

It hadn't even been a month, but Reiko Kuninobu was already tired of taking care of her child. All Yoshitoki ever did was cry and keep her up until the early hours of the morning. At around eight one morning, she had taken the child out for a stroll in an attempt to calm him down. Bouncing Yoshitoki up and down lightly in her arms in an attempt to make him shut up, Reiko looked down at him. He shouldn't even have been here. She knew that sleeping with a married man wouldn't well for her, but she didn't expect the said man to completely shut Reiko out of his life. Now, he wanted nothing to do with either of them.

The truth was Reiko did love the man in question, but the feeling wasn't returned completely. He only wanted her for one thing, and Reiko's last hope was getting pregnant. She didn't do it on purpose. It had been completely unplanned, but when she found out about it, she had the slightest bit of hope that this man who she loved so dearly would stay with her. But, with a wife of his own to take care of, he refused to have any part in her life.

Yoshitoki began to wail again. Reiko groaned and threw her head back in resignation. She knew that she wasn't looking after this child out of love or care. It was merely out of obligation, and at this stage, Reiko began to wonder if obligation was even reason enough to take care of Yoshitoki. Looking down at him, she could already see a few features of his father's. She didn't want that reminder. She didn't want to be a mother. She didn't want any of this.

"Come on, come on… Shh, we're almost there now…" Reiko said gently, continuing to carry the crying child along the footpath. She saw a house which she passed many times, and stopped in front of it.

Reiko looked between Yoshitoki and the house. He still hadn't stopped crying. Her head was ringing, and all she wanted was to continue on as if the affair, or childbirth, never happened. She couldn't move on as long as he was in her life, though. She knew what she needed to do.

Knocking firmly on the door, Reiko took one more look down at the child. After a few seconds, someone answered the door.

"Is this the Jikeikan Orphanage?"

After the young woman at the door gave a brief nod, Reiko gave a quick explanation of everything there was to know about Yoshitoki, before pushing the baby into the woman's arms. Before the woman could ask any more questions, Reiko turned on her heels, and walked away.

Yoshitoki had calmed down while Reiko was speaking, and had started looking around in confusion at his new surroundings. Sighing, the caretaker took him into the house, shaking her head. That was the last memory Yoshitoki would ever have about the brief time he had with his mother.

* * *

_2._

Five years had passed since Yoshitoki had been placed into the orphanage. Any memories of his mother had left his short attention spanned mind, and had become fully adjusted to life as an orphan. There were a few small problems, though. He did like life at the orphanage, definitely. Ms. Ryoko was always kind and caring towards him, the meals he got were like any he could get in a real home, and the room he shared with a few other boys was remarkably cosy.

But, Yoshitoki had a few problems. The first was that he couldn't seem to find himself able to make friends. The other kids had quickly found their own groups, and in all his five years, Yoshitoki remained a loner. The second problem was that he was well aware that he wasn't here due to his parents dying. More than often, he wanted to know why his parents had left him. Even though the advantages outweighed the disadvantages, the problems Yoshitoki had bothered him frequently.

He had been thinking about what sort of people his parents could've been, when all of a sudden Ms. Ryoko entered the living room, followed by a young boy, who looked rather glum and sleep-deprived. Yoshitoki didn't recognise the boy, and knew immediately that he was new here. It surprised him when Ms. Ryoko started walking over towards him.

"Yoshitoki, this is Shuya Nanahara. Have you seen him in school before?" she asked softly. Shuya and Yoshitoki stared at each other for a few seconds before Yoshitoki shook his head at Ms. Ryoko.

"Well, Shuya's recently lost his parents, and now he needs somewhere to stay here. I noticed you have a free bed in your bunk bed, and would you like having Shuya stay with you there?" she continued on slowly and calmly.

"Sure!" Yoshitoki replied immediately, giving a toothy grin. Like any other young child, decisions like these didn't require deep thinking or debating in his mind.

After the thought of having a bunkmate began to develop in Yoshitoki's mind, he found himself becoming enthusiastic at the idea. Since this Shuya boy was new, probably the first person he'd turn to to make a friend was the person he was sharing a bunk bed with. And, Yoshitoki already decided he'd be more than happy to become his friend.

A few minutes later, after Ms. Ryoko had given Shuya a duffel bag from out in the hallway, which contained his personal belongings, Yoshitoki decided to show him to their room. Looking behind him, he saw that Shuya was struggling with the duffel bag he was carrying. Rushing to his side, Yoshitoki decided to do his first friendly deed for him. He attempted to take the duffle bag from the boy's hands, which only caused Shuya to hold onto it tighter.

"Don't you want a bit of help?" Yoshitoki asked, suddenly confused by his behaviour. Shuya kept his head down as he walked.

"I'm okay. Where's our room?"

His tone wasn't warm, and Yoshitoki felt the need to abandon all hopes of them becoming friends. Sighing, he took the lead again, walking down the corridor. Even at that young age, he had accepted that no one really wanted him in their lives, and attempting to change their minds was pointless.

* * *

_3._

It had been one week since Shuya had moved to the orphanage. The conversations between him and Yoshitoki had been brief and forgettable. One night, things were no different. They watched television for about half an hour, brushed their teeth, and climbed into their beds.

Feeling bored, Yoshitoki pulled out a handheld console from under his pillow, and hid underneath the blankets as he became immersed in the game. Tapping away at the little buttons to defeat lurking monsters, about two hours had passed without him noticing. All of a sudden, the screen went black, and Yoshitoki frowned as he realized that he had worn out the battery. Sighing and deciding he would charge it first thing tomorrow, he laid down properly in his bed, knowing he should get to sleep.

That was when he heard soft sobbing from the top bunk. Thinking he had been mistaken, Yoshitoki sat up and listened intently. There was no doubt about it; Shuya was upset about something. He sat there for a few minutes in confusion about what to do. Yes, things weren't bitter between them, but they couldn't be considered anything more than acquaintances.

Shuya had isolated himself from the other kids, believing they already had their own cliques by now. People weren't all too keen on approaching him either. Yoshitoki had kept his distance, mainly because he didn't know how to handle kids like Shuya. Hardly anyone from the orphanage was there due to parents actually being dead, and when that exception did occur, the other children didn't know how to interact around them.

But now, Yoshitoki knew he couldn't let his awkward behavior and fear that Shuya secretly hated him get in the way. Judging by the boy's continuous crying, he needed someone there to comfort him. That's when Yoshitoki knew he could do some good for someone. He could be there for Shuya.

Getting out of bed immediately, Yoshitoki climbed the short ladder up to Shuya's bunk. Even in the dark room, he could see that Shuya was surprised to see him there, and his sobs eased up for a moment.

"Nobu?" Shuya mumbled, confused. The nickname had stuck whenever Shuya wanted to quickly ask Yoshitoki about something.

"What's wrong?" Yoshitoki asked, deciding not to beat around the bush. A few minutes had passed, and he began to think Shuya wasn't going to answer, when the boy suddenly piped up.

"I had a nightmare."

"Nightmare? That's what made you cry?" Yoshitoki asked, his tone soft. Shuya shook his head, looking down at his knees.

"Then what is it?" he asked. Shuya didn't answer that time. He laid there, trembling, and began to cry again, whimpering softly.

It didn't take Yoshitoki long to understand why he was so upset. Of course. Children turned to parents whenever they awoke during the night from a nightmare. Luckily, he had been spared the sorrow of not having a parent to turn to, considering by the time he did turn to someone when this happened, his mother was well out of his life and Yoshitoki had Ms. Ryoko there to turn to. Shuya was old enough to suffer through this, though.

Yoshitoki knew he couldn't bring Shuya's parents back. They were dead and gone, and that was the stone cold truth. However, he decided he could do all he could to help Shuya when he needed the help. Lying down beside him, Yoshitoki pulled him into a hug, causing Shuya to suddenly become quiet.

"What are you doing?!" he exclaimed, astounded by Yoshitoki's sudden move.

"I'm sorry your parents are gone. I can't do much, but… Go to sleep. You won't have another nightmare," Yoshitoki replied, not budging.

Minutes later, Shuya fell back asleep. He didn't stir again for the rest of the night. Yoshitoki had been proud of himself for finally finding some way to help Shuya. Also, as Shuya clung onto the boy for comfort, Yoshitoki found it easier to sleep than he ever had before. He never had anyone before to take care of, or anyone to take care of him. But now, things could change. Both Shuya and Yoshitoki now had someone there for them.

The next day, Shuya didn't leave Yoshitoki's side. And, like any other five year olds, considered themselves best friends by the end of the day.

* * *

_4._

It was fine.

Yoshitoki should've expected it when he and Shuya entered Shiroiwa Junior High. Shuya had become the type of boy who was lovable and talented, and out of the two of them, Shuya was always the more noticeable and approachable one. Things didn't change in the slightest when they finished elementary school. If anything, the amount of people who adored Shuya only grew bigger.

They weren't subtle about it either. The girls, of course. They all fawned around him, and Yoshitoki had constantly been overlooked. The only time that girls really approached him was to get closer to Shuya, or to find out more information about the lovable boy.

It would be a lie if Yoshitoki said he wasn't a little jealous. Of course he was. He was still the same unnoticeable, unimpressive boy who had been Shuya's best friend for eight years. At times, he begun to question why Shuya even stuck around someone like him. Boys like Shinji Mimura and Hiroki Sugimura had become friends with Shuya, who were much better suited best friends for him.

But Shuya didn't abandon Yoshitoki. Every day after school, they'd still walk back to the orphanage, watch a bit of television, and spend the night talking about things they would forget the next morning. Even though Shuya had become hugely popular amongst practically everyone, he hadn't abandoned the one person who had been by his side for so long. Yoshitoki admired that, and was immensely grateful for it.

Also, his jealousy was overshadowed by his happiness for Shuya. Yoshitoki would prefer to see him with this high level of popularity over seeing him get bullied by Kiriyama's gang any day.

Yes, Yoshitoki was completely overshadowed by his best friend. But he still managed to be there for Shuya, and that's all that mattered.

So it was fine.

* * *

_5._

Ever since Yoshitoki had learned the truth about why he was living at the orphanage, he had been strictly set against falling in love, having children, or anything along those lines. While his best friend had been busy fawning over Kazumi Shintani, Yoshitoki had been telling himself over and over that it wasn't worth it, that it'd eventually end in heartbreak, as sour as it sounds.

However, while all this was going on, Yoshitoki found his attention being drawn to something other than Shuya's huge crush on Kazumi. During the month of November of their second year in Shiroiwa Junior High, students kept falling sick and became absent, there was one absence he noticed overall.

The "neutral" girls were missing a few of their usual members, but there was one girl that he noticed was missing above all the rest (Who were the others? Chisato Matsui? Izumi Kanai? He couldn't remember by that stage). He noticed the usual praise of the Literature teacher was missing, and for a good reason. Noriko Nakagawa had been absent for a week by then.

Yoshitoki had talked to the girls on occasions before, especially in there recent times. He had found his conversations with Noriko enjoyable, and when he got past her shy barrier, she was one of the kindest and most approachable people he talked to. There were times when he suspected she liked Shuya, and for some reason, he found his mood dropping every time that thought occurred.

In the week that Noriko was sick, Yoshitoki found it a bit tougher to get out bed in the morning for school. That was why when he entered the homeroom one day and saw her sitting in her usual spot, he found a sense of relief wash over him.

"Nakagawa! Are you okay?! You were out for ages!" Yoshitoki cried, rushing to Noriko's desk, which was situated close to his. She smiled weakly up at him, nodding.

"I'm okay. I was only out for a week… Thank you for your concern, though. I'm happy to be back!" she reassured him.

"Uh huh… Just making sure," he said, a little embarrassed by how thrilled he just came across to her.

The rest of the day went rather normally. Nothing eventful happened for the boy, at least until PE. During a game of dodgeball between the boys, Yoshitoki had been the first to be eliminated, and had gotten bored quickly of just sitting around. Knowing that there was nothing better to do, he headed towards the changing room to get back into his uniform. On the way, he peeked out the window, where the girls were holding their PE class that day.

He jumped back when he suddenly saw Noriko approaching the door, and she looked up at Yoshitoki in surprise. She looked paler than she had earlier that day, and didn't look very cheerful.

"Oh! Sorry, I was just heading to the office… I need to go home," she explained quickly, going towards the girls' changing room, presumably to get her things. Yoshitoki suddenly found himself feeling worried for Noriko, and disappointed that she wouldn't be in school the next day. _Wait, why am I getting so upset over this?_

Once she had reemerged from the changing room, she brushed past Yoshitoki to go to the office and explain that she needed to go home. He stood there for a moment, wondering to do.

"Hey! Nakagawa, wait! I'll walk you out," Yoshitoki offered, rushing to her side. Noriko looked up at him in surprise.

"Don't you have gym class too?" she asked. He shrugged, smiling down at her bashfully.

"I just want to… Um, make sure you're okay leaving school. I'm here to help you anytime," Yoshitoki awkwardly phrased his explanation, and found himself blushing at his lack of good reasoning.

"Thank you… That's really sweet of you," Noriko replied, and smiled up at him. Yoshitoki laughed a little awkwardly, and walked her to the school office.

One thing Yoshitoki couldn't help but observe was that even while she was sick, Noriko was still immensely pretty. She always was, according to him. He failed to understand why she wasn't one of the most adored girls in class. She was cute, innocent, wrote beautifully, and also had a mature side to her. He had been lost in those thoughts for several minutes, and only snapped out of it when Noriko's mother arrived to pick her up.

"Goodbye, Mr. Nobu! I'll try to return to school as soon as possible!" she called out before scurrying towards the car outside.

As Yoshitoki said goodbye to her too, he realized that all that talk about being incapable of falling in love was all pointless. There was no doubt about it. He had a crush on Noriko Nakagawa. And, he would give anything for her to return the feeling.

* * *

_6._

Everything was happening too fast. First, the program. Yes, as Yoshitoki looked around the classroom, he knew forty one of them would be dead in the timespan of three days at the most. One left. It would be impossible for Shuya, and Noriko to both live. He would have to deal with the possibility of saying goodbye to either his best friend, or the girl he loved.

Then, Sakamochi's nonchalance in announcing that he had raped Ms. Ryoko. The one woman who had treated Yoshitoki like a son when his own mother wouldn't. How could he ever forgive anyone for hurting someone who had been so kind to him all this time? For supporting such a sick cause?

Yoshitoki's mind was a jumble. The only clear thought was that he would kill Sakamochi. Kill the person who hurt Ms. Ryoko. It was the only thing he could do to get revenge for her. And, if he did kill Sakamochi, his classmates could escape. No one would have to die! The plan was perfect.

He never believed in murdering anyone for justice up until that moment. But things were different now. He had to. Right at that moment, he had to. Any delays, and he'd be required to kill his classmates instead. It was the only correct solution in his mind.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

Yoshitoki repeated those words over and over, ignoring Sakamochi's warning that he was defying the government by doing this.

Seconds later, bullets ripped through his flesh. He remained alive, though. Yoshitoki's arm refused to stop twitching, and as blood quickly gave a crimson tone to his black uniform, he shut up. _Oh god. What did I do?! I can't save either of them now. Sakamochi's going to stay alive. Who'll avenge Ms. Ryoko now?_

He turned to look at Shuya. Moving his head was a difficult task, but in his peripheral vision, Yoshitoki could see his best friend. He could see that Shuya was lost with no clue whatsoever of what to do to save him. Yoshitoki wanted to know desperately what Shuya was thinking. Did he think he had done a heroic thing, and was about to do the same thing? Or did he think he was an idiot for getting himself almost killed this early on?

And Noriko… Yoshitoki's eyes looked at Noriko's seat. It was empty. He felt more panicked than before. When he looked up, he saw that Noriko was standing right above him, already in tears. He hated to see her cry. But, at the same time, he felt relieved that she did care about him. Perhaps she did prefer Yoshitoki to Shuya after all. _Wait, why am I thinking about this stuff now?! This is the worst timing-_

A shot rang out. Yoshitoki cursed his inability to move, because if he could, he would tear out Sakamochi's throat with his bare fingers right there for killing Noriko. _She got herself killed for… Wait. She's still here! But her leg… _he thought.

She was now demanding help for him. Yoshitoki found his body suddenly relaxing, while it had been arching in pain moments before. It wasn't due to the relief of getting help, though. He knew. He knew that he was going to be the first person in class 3-B to die. There was nothing he could do but accept it.

He couldn't help but partially regret what he did. Yoshitoki did what was right for Ms. Ryoko, but now he couldn't protect Shuya and Noriko. He couldn't ensure one of them would get out of this alive. That's what hurt most of all, above the pain of being shot multiple times. A gun was pressed to his head. This was the "help" he would get. A deafening shot rang out, and nothing more was felt.

And with that, Yoshitoki Kuninobu's short life came to an end.

* * *

_7._

On the 23rd of February, 2013, Ms. Ryoko had been busy doing a little bit of spring cleaning. Children got in her way, but she didn't mind. Once all the main rooms had been done, the woman approached a room she went to more often that she knew she should. Taking a key out of her pocket, she unlocked the door.

Although the room wasn't too spacious, it felt like there was a vast emptiness in the room. A bunk bed stood in the room, even though the two beds remained unoccupied for the last sixteen years. The walls were plastered with posters of Bruce Springsteen, and even though this room once belonged to two boys, their clothes were all neatly folded away.

Ms. Ryoko approached the windowsill. On the windowsill stood a little urn. None of the current children of the orphanage had ever seen it. They wouldn't even know who was in it. Gently lifting it, she opened the lid, and looked at the grey ashes inside it.

This was all that remained of Yoshitoki Kuninobu. What was supposed to be an enjoyable class trip would be the one thing that would cause him to lose his future. He never got to visit new places, graduate school, meet a girl who he would fall in love with. None of that. His life ended due to a sudden rip of bullets through his skin. It was funny how fast a life could end.

The other boy who stayed in this room, Shuya Nanahara, never contacted Ms. Ryoko again. She understood why, and didn't blame him. Still, she couldn't help but wonder where he was now. He would have been thirty by now, and all Ms. Ryoko could do was pray that the other boy who occupied this room once didn't end up like Yoshitoki did.

Hearing one of the other caretakers call for Ms. Ryoko to help make the dinner for that night, she quickly placed the lid back on the urn and put it back on the windowsill. She walked out of the room and locked the door

That was all that would be left of Yoshitoki Kuninobu. There was nothing more for him to do.


End file.
